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Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous’ Category

It’s time for the Melissa & Doug “Terrific Twenty” list! This list compiles the “best of the best” holiday gifts for the 2012 holiday season, and I get to share it with you!

To celebrate, Melissa & Doug are having a “20 Days of Terrific Twenty” Giveaway on their Facebook page! Every day they’ll be giving away one item from their Terrific Twenty list to at least one of their lucky Facebook fans!

Now through the end of October, 2012, the makers of Freschetta® pizza are helping to promote breast cancer awareness through their new The Strength of 1™ campaign, which includes sponsoring Bright Pink, the only national non-profit organization focusing on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancerin young women, while providing support to high-risk individuals. The mission of this The Strength of 1™ initiative is to inspire everyone to realize they can make a difference in some way in the fight against breast cancer.

Take The Pledge – Join other women and take the pledge to show you have The Strength of 1™ power within you. You can do so at www.facebook.com/freschettapizza and help spread the word on Twitter.

Women can also support The Strength of 1™ Thunderclap. To do so, visit www.thunderclap.it, click on Explore Thunderclaps, and choose “Cause” in the drop-down menu to find The Strength of 1™ Thunderclap. Click on the “Support with Twitter” or “Support with Facebook” button to help further spread the word about this The Strength of 1™ mission.

Disclaimer: “I occasionally receive compensation in the form of products for posts. However, the opinions I share are solely my own.”

To celebrate the launch of their Rising Crust Pizza, Annie’s is kicking off their Slice of Happiness Tour in the San Francisco Bay Area on September 29. Through mid-November, Annie’s mobile pizza kitchen and organic garden will travel 6,000 miles to 11 cities nationwide, offering samples of all three Rising Crust Pizza varieties to hungry fans.

The tour stops will also boast fun activities for the whole family, like the chance to dig into Annie’s Truck Farm, a mobile garden that grows organic herbs and vegetables like the ones found on Annie’s pizzas.

Visitors can also take interactive family photos with Bernie, Annie’ mascot and Rabbit of Approval, and have a chance to win prizes, pizza, coupons or an appearance on Annie’s “Slice of Happiness Tour” website.

Fans can show their support by using the hashtag #sliceofhappiness on Twitter or Instagram.

Tour Schedule:

(Locations to be announced online at anniespizzatour.com closer to event dates.)

In addition to pre-arranged stops at family-friendly events like farmers markets, youth sporting events, and parks, Annie’s will be making special “detour” stops along the way as requested by Annie’s fans. Fans interested in vying for their very own “detour” event can submit their request at www.anniespizzatour.com.

I received this information because I am a member of Moms Meet. If you would like opportunities like this you can log on here to become a member aswell.

Disclaimer: I am blogging about this product without compensation from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agreed to review this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product.

Pregnancy is without a doubt one of the most enjoyable but trying times of a woman’s life. Once the baby is actually born, there are still some complications that may occur. After my pregnancy, I found that there were some helpful tips to keep me healthy while I was caring for my little one.

Once my baby was born, I had to make sure I was taking care of my baby’s health as well as my own. A woman should ask many questions about caring for and feeding a newborn to the medical professionals while she is in the hospital. This I learned from my mother, who thankfully helped guide me throughout my pregnancy and after delivery. Babies will be taken for immunizations and tests soon after birth so an informed mother is the best kind of advocate for her baby. Being informed of optional procedures, like cord blood banking, may also benefit the baby’s future health. Cord blood banking is where the umbilical cord blood is collected immediately following birth and sent to a private facility for storage. Cord blood can be potentially be used to help treat certain medical conditions, should one afflict the baby or possibly a sibling down the road.

Generally after having a baby, the mother’s body is pretty sore and fatigued for a couple weeks, I know I sure was! For this reason, doctors recommend restricted activity. Stairs are generally restricted unless absolutely necessary for a week or two as is heavy lifting. Most maternity leaves from work last until about six weeks after the baby is born. Because the woman’s body is tired after giving birth, it is important to sleep for as long as possible while the baby does. Getting enough sleep was hard at first, but luckily for me my baby started sleeping for longer periods of time soon after she was born. Also, taking power naps while she was napping was essential in making sure I was awake and attentive when my baby was.

I found that the key to having an easier recovery and shorter recovery time, (in comparison to family, friends and research), was preparing for post-delivery care well before my baby arrived. Continuing to exercise in a program approved by my doctor was the first step toward avoiding excess weight gain and potential health complications. Beginning or maintaining a healthy diet consisting of plenty of lean protein, fruit, vegetables and whole grains will keep a mother’s energy up and help progress baby’s healthy development. Try to avoid snacking on sugary or fatty foods. Instead try dried fruits, yogurt or veggies. Pinterest is a great resource for finding fun, easy recipes!

Although I didn’t experience this first hand, a case of the “baby blues” is fairly typical. If a mother feels unusually down and gloomy, she may be suffering from postpartum depression. Other symptoms include loss of appetite and loss of interest in favorite activities. A trip to the obstetrician will be able to help the mother bounce back; sometimes a low dose of antidepressant medicine is necessary. It is most important not to ignore these feelings. When a mother feels her best, she is best able to care for her baby.

It is so important that a mother takes care of herself throughout her pregnancy and especially in the early postpartum days and weeks. Keep a watchful eye out for any symptoms that seem abnormal and consult your doctor if necessary. The greatest benefit of a mom staying healthy is that it will allow her to enjoy and cherish the time bonding with the new baby. I was thankful to have tips like these and even more thankful to be happy and healthy for my little bundle of joy!

“This article was written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche. If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26.”

From world-class restaurants to food trucks, and everything in between, help decide who’s truly the ‘best of the best’ across 20 categories in the world of food in the first ever The Munchies: People’s Choice Food Awards.

General Mills’ Tablespoon.com is honoring the most delicious food experiences America has to offer – from the most iconic burger, to the best local farmers market, to the best chef. Featuring some of their favorite food people from TV, blogs, books, restaurants and beyond, Andrew Zimmern, Chef & James Beard award-winning television personality, and a panel of celebrity chowhounds have developed the list of nominees across three groups:

Terrific Tastemakers- the media and personalities that make the food world sizzle, from Favorite Food TV Personality to Favorite Food Blog
Best Bites- the most delectable interpretations of our favorite foods, like Most Iconic Burger and Best Cookie
Delicious Destinations- the establishments that keep us coming back for more; think Coolest Coffee Shop or Most Intriguing Cocktail Bar
The nominees were chosen by a panel of culinary celebs, but it’s now up to the real experts out there – namely, you – to choose the winners! Vote for your faves once per day (even recast your whole ballot with just a click!) at Tablespoon.com/themunchies now through April 30th. Encourage your readers, friends and family to do the same, and don’t forget to check back in May to see who the winners are!

While celebrating food, they’re also fighting hunger. On behalf of the expert panel and all of the voters, Tablespoon.com is donating $15,000 to Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. One good meal deserves another, so head on over to Tablespoon.com/themunchies to vote now!

Disclosure: The info has been provided to me by Tablespoon.com through MyBlogSpark.